Anti-social behaviour helper

Summary of the problem

Litter is anything dropped in a public place, and includes discarded chewing gum and cigarette ends. Litter can collect together and become unsightly and leave an area looking dirty and not looked after.

Littering, including dropping a cigarette end is a criminal offence, and people who do so can be given a fixed penalty notice or prosecuted in court.

Littering is anti-social and councils have a responsibility to clear it up which costs millions of pounds every year.

Who you can report the problem to

• You can report the problem to your council online here at direct.gov

• Report the problem to your Anti-social Behaviour Coordinator, Team or local Neighbourhood Policing Team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details

• If you are the tenant of a social landlord (the council or a housing association), report it to your landlord

If you are unsure what to do or who to speak to, contact your anti-social behaviour team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details. If they are not directly responsible they will be able to help you to find who is.

What can be done to tackle litter problems?

Because the council has responsibility to clear litter away and they have powers to take action against individuals. Depending on where litter is collecting, the council are required to clear the litter within specific times, for example high streets will be cleared more frequently than the verges at the sides of roads.

There is a range of tools and powers which can be used to tackle litter problems, including:

• Warning letters given to litterers, that warn if they are caught again, further action will be taken

• Fixed Penalty Notices to litterers when caught

If a person persistently drops rubbish, the following can be used:

• Acceptable behaviour contracts or agreements (ABCs/ABAs), requiring the litterer to agree to stop their behaviour

• If the littering continues despite the above, the council can prosecution the person in court, under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 with a potential fine up to £2,500

Whatever action is taken, you should expect the council to keep you informed.